Get power of green business

Menu

Whenever you hear an environmentalist, green politicians or left, our Ministers or Secretaries of State in charge of ecology and even our President himself about the industrial and economic future of France, you will hear one answer as if all these people had concerted: it is green technology and development that will come to replace the “old” ‘French model. The have you heard the one and the other, detailing specifically what they mean by “Green Technology”? Probably never and never again will you have heard a reporter ask such a disturbing question. See is a revealed truth that these are the technologies that will save us and only the ignorant do not know what it is.

Yet it is interesting to ask the question of what is meant by this term and our positioning us French, with respect to these new technologies.

Take for example the wind the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers are Danish Vestas, Siemens of Germany, the American Genéral Electric, Indian Suzlon and others. Not a French company in the lot since we arrived – and we are still among the industrialized countries – the latest on the market. The idea would be that we will catch up … thanks the large loan for example? Belizean, we decided to invest in more noble things, the “saavoir” and not in the concrete. And when a French investor engages in the construction of a wind farm that you believe he does to buy the equipment? An offer or win Vestas GE or another call.

Would we be well placed for engineering Not really, although it is the French Technip had the engineering contract for the first floating wind turbine in European sea (although it is Norwegian) that operates off Stavanger Statoil. We have service activities, those that can not be relocated, and provide utilities or construction.

And photovoltaic It is simple it is an industry in three phases. Manufacturers of crystalline silicon, the raw material for the manufacture of photovoltaic panels, the second stage of the process and then the installers. The first exclusively Chinese manufacturers of solar panels are divided between Chinese, American, Japanese and German. We have the manufacturing of electrical equipment connection and installation on site.

The project Silpro manufacturing crystalline silicon on the Arkema site provence fell into the water and still looking for the Total innovative process that would allow him to catch up with the Chinese manufacturers of silicon. For panels, one with Total EDF and Photowatt make it in France in units that are incommensurate with that of Chinese competitors. You probably know that GDF Suez will build Curbans in the Alpes de Haute Provence’s largest photovoltaic power plant in France. This is the Chinese Yingli will provide the 145,000 panels!

The as we left too late, well after the Germans, and it will be impossible to catch up prices to competitors who benefit from labor costs much lower and a local market much larger construction. The German government had realized the need to heavily subsidize the solar industry that moves in them. We put five years to understand and yet we have promoted for political reasons (Kyoto) and not economic. Too late.

Where we still have a technological edge that is in everything electrical connections and networks with Schneider and the power transmission business, Alstom, Areva become before returning Alstom. This is also the area of building insulation with St Gobain.

And then of course the final installations are certainly significant, but do not provide work for factory workers. And everything rehabilitation of buildings and thermal insulation of French real estate. Lot of service trades so.

Are other industries that will be disrupted by environmental mounted, automotive or transportation. Our PSA and Renault will it be more efficient than the competition, the future will tell. As for road transportation policymakers are outside our country. The winners of the development of the electric car will be battery manufacturers that they are… Japanese.

Conclude that after this review of green technologies and their prospects in terms of employment? It is urgent not destroy cost of carbon tax without compensation to our competitors or ostracism displayed towards traditional products, the jobs we have. The day Mrs Jouanno declared hopeless by plant closures contributed auxquelle it will, we will feel better…